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GD Copper USA adding up to 40 jobs at Alabama plant

GD Copper USA announced it will add 30 to 40 employees to its Wilcox County workforce of 300. (Contributed)

GD Copper USA, the first U.S. manufacturing facility operated by China’s Golden Dragon Precise Copper Tube Group, said today that it is adding as many as 40 workers at its plant in Wilcox County.

GD Copper’s facility in the Pine Hill community opened in 2014 and employs 300 people. The 500,000-square-foot plant is on Alabama Highway 5 in Wilcox County, around 100 miles from the Port of Mobile.

“Alabama is excited that GD Copper has reached the 300-job mark at their facility and proud that they have decided to expand by adding an additional 40 jobs,” Gov. Robert Bentley said today.

“As always, Alabama is ready and eager to partner with GD Copper and all Alabama companies as we continue to work together to bring quality jobs to the Thomasville-West Wilcox County region.”

Working relationship

Gov. Robert Bentley, center, poses for a photo with representatives from Golden Dragon Copper and elected officials from Wilcox County as they announce an expansion at Golden Dragon’s Wilcox County plant. (Jamie Martin/Governor’s Office)

GD Copper said it will hire between 30 and 40 new workers. The company will work with AIDT, the state’s primary workforce development agency, on the expansion.

“We are fortunate to have both a high-quality, loyal customer base and skilled, committed employees in the United States,” GD Copper USA President Shunde Dong said. “Our Thomasville/Wilcox County facility allows GD Copper to provide its high-quality copper products directly to the U.S. market.

“We are proud of our American team of workers and the products they are producing,” he said. “We also value the assistance of, and strong working relationship with, the local community and its leadership.”

Confirming commitment

George Alford, executive director of the Wilcox County Industrial Development Authority, said the collaborative effort that helped bring GD Copper to the Southwest Alabama county in 2014 played a role in the company’s expansion plans.

“This announcement confirms GD Copper’s commitment to our area and demonstrates the importance of working together,” Alford said. “Continuing and strengthening Wilcox County’s partnership with GD Copper and Thomasville will produce additional announcements in the future.”

“Anything is possible when good folks work hand in hand to bring development to their community,” said Thomasville Mayor Sheldon Day.